


I Don't Know What Isn't Real

by Kyriathe



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Keith (Voltron), Alternate Universe, Angst, Bad Flirting, Deception, Galra Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Lance is Bad at Honesty, Lance pretends to be someone else, M/M, Miscommunication, someone's gotta write it, vague mentions of war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 03:51:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17738492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyriathe/pseuds/Kyriathe
Summary: Keith's entire life has been the Endless War between Altea and Galra. Now it's over, he's a little adrift; he would have died for his homeworld, if he needed to, but living is much more awkward. And he's been so focussed on the war, it's never really left him time for anything else- relationships included, not that anyone wants a half-Altean.At least he can distract himself for a little while with the Galra soldier who's latched on and won't leave him alone, right?





	I Don't Know What Isn't Real

The party is going on in the ballroom, celebrating, finally, peace between Altea and Galra. An end to the Endless War, to all the death and destruction of countless decaphoebs. He'd expected a lot less joy from the Galrans, honestly, considering their "victory or death" mindset, but... the ones who are here, he supposes, are the ones who wanted the end of the war most. The young, and the naturally rebellious, and the most unorthodox, the least set in Galran ways. Relief must be running high among them that they've pulled off not only a coup, but a peace treaty as well.

Young, unorthodox, or rebellious might also explain why a Galran soldier seems to have attached himself to Keith out here on the balcony, in fact. Seems to be busy _flirting_ , even, not even remotely discouraged by the fact Keith doesn't know how to respond to someone in his space. Over the last thirty doboshes, Keith has gone from unsure to resigned to maybe a little flattered despite himself, and the Galra has gone from lounging against the balustrade a safe distance away to very much in Keith's personal space- not that that's hard, but the Galran is taking it pretty far by actually touching with long, callused fingers, which even Keith can't really deny as a sign of interest.

"These are cute," the Galran says, warm fingers running over the curve of Keith's ear, and grins.

Keith's first reaction is a suspicious frown, because _no-one_ finds his ears cute, and he can't help feeling like he's being mocked. Altean ears are pointed, as everyone but his very few friends are fond of reminding him, and the fact his ears don't look like anyone else's is just a reminder that he's only half, just like his height and his lack of grace off the battlefield and his inability to change shape. He's tolerated, because he has his mother's facial markings and he's a notable war hero, and the Princess has made it very clear exactly how she expects people to treat her friend, but that only goes so far. And even Allura finds his ears weird, as she made clear when they were children and a little less diplomatic. Well, Allura was. Keith was exactly as diplomatic then as he is now- not at all.

Then again, the Galra seem to have as many types of ears as there are Galrans, so... maybe it's not actually mockery. Not entirely.

Maybe it's not so bad to be wanted, even if it's just a moment of fun on a balcony that won't go anywhere. He lets his expression smooth out, the little flicker of irritation mostly drowned in confusion and maybe a little wanting to believe someone might like his ears.

"Have you even told me your name?" he asks, eventually, eyes flicking up to meet the Galran's, surprised to find actual pupils. He's been getting used to the blank yellow a lot of them display, but it's still a little creepy sometimes; even the slit pupils of his new acquaintance are better, give him some idea of where he's looking.

"Have _you_?" comes back immediately, but with another grin, revealing pointed teeth. Keith should probably be alarmed, but he's seen worse, and at least these ones aren't coming for his throat just yet. "The name's- Pike. Don't wear it out."

Keith raises an eyebrow, but he can feel the corners of his lips tilt up. The name doesn't mean anything to him, so not one of the major players in the war, but the scar over one eye suggests at least some battlefield experience. Close enough to understand, maybe, a little of Keith's mindset, far enough that he's probably never really had to face what Keith's done to more Galra than he wants to think about. His reputation is very much earned; quite a lot of the ballroom is avoiding him, Altean and Galran alike. "You never asked," he says, dry, and doesn't elaborate.

"True." Pike seems more amused than not. He slides an arm around Keith's shoulders, and Keith tenses for a moment but makes no move to push away. The war is done, and even if Pike was going to try something, Keith is sure he can get to his knife fast enough to stop it anyway. "A man of mystery, huh? I can live with that. Makes things much more fun."

The contact is nice, after so long without.

He turns under Pike's arm, looking up at him more directly. He's not good at flirting, but- maybe direct works just as well. "Any reason you followed me out here?"

"You can't guess?" Pike leans in a little, fingers slipping into Keith's hair, and not even Keith is that oblivious. Keith tips his head back, looking up from under his eyelashes, making the challenge clear.

Before he can get an answer as to whether Pike would actually have taken him up on it, though, their tiny slice of relative quiet is disturbed. 

And even if Keith wasn't usually a private person, uncomfortable with the idea of touching in front of other people, the way Allura gasps his name would be very much enough to make him step back from Pike in a hurry. He turns his head to meet her gaze, frowning again, because what he does in his own time is his own business, but-

That's the new Galran Emperor with her, easily identified by the false arm and the scar across his nose. Also saying a name, although it's less scandalised in tone and more resigned frustration- and nothing like Pike.

Well, not in sound, anyway. Keith actually feels a little stupid for not putting it together himself, honestly.

He looks back up slowly, and Pike- _Lance_ , and that _is_ a name he recognises all too well- gives him a wry smile and a wink. "Oops. Guilty as charged," he says, although the tone of cheerfulness actually seems a little forced, this time. The ears that have until now stayed upright on top of his head end up tilted back, and it makes him look weirdly defensive. "Nice to meet you?"

"You knew," Keith says, flatly. Because Pike, common battlefield soldier, he could believe might not put two and two together. Lance, Emperor Shiro's right hand man, infamous assassin and battlefield strategist? Not a chance he doesn't know who Keith is, and that's not even ego talking- that's the memory of being shot at from a great distance, once or twice. He folds his arms, taking another step back, trying not to feel like he's doing something odd when Lance's eyes follow him. He's not the one pretending here. 

He also hears Allura cough, demanding his attention, but that can wait.

"...Knew is a strong word?" Lance tries, ears folding back further. "Strongly suspected? I mean, there _might_ be two short Alteans with mullets and not-pointy ears. Who are also allowed to carry knives in the Princess of Altea's presence."

He hears the emperor murmur something probably diplomatic, the sounds of two people making a hasty retreat off the balcony. Right now, Keith doesn't care, although later he'll probably feel a little betrayed that Allura left him there with a known assassin. For the moment, he's too busy staring at Lance.

Lance looks after his emperor, looking as over-dramatically betrayed as Keith feels, before he turns back, ears still down. There's a nervous look about him, but that doesn't mean anything. Lance's reputation, like Keith's, was formed on the battlefield. Unlike Keith, that reputation also includes a certain amount of subterfuge, which in Keith's opinion is a fancy word for lies. Like the lies Lance has been telling him for thirty doboshes. He takes another step back, pulling away, noticing that Lance's ears sliding to the sides as he does.

" _Why_ ," and Keith's tone is still too flat to sound like a question. It isn't, really. Other than Hunk and Pidge and Allura, people don't get close to him for fun. It's always something they want from him, never himself.

"You could be more specific? Why is a very big question when you don't give me anything else to work with. Like, you could be asking why the sky is... not red here." Lance shrugs, hands held in front of him, and Keith doesn't miss the fact he's talking faster and louder than before, even if he doesn't know what that means.

But it doesn't matter. Lance knows what the question really is, and he's not answering. The conversation is pointless, and Keith is done with it. He pulls his shoulders back, sets his face to stone, and bows, short and shallow. "I think we're done here," he says, slow and precise, and times like these are the only time he appreciates his training in Altean manners. It gives him a formal pattern to follow, another wall to put up, something that stops him saying too much too openly. "I'm sure we'll be too busy to talk again. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Keith leaves, shoulders still back, pace carefully set to make it obvious he's not fleeing. What reason would he have to run, anyway? They'd barely talked, nothing had actually happened, and a few doboshes of listening to a higher voice than he'd expected from a Galra throat and a few warm touches don't mean anything, even if they're still more than Keith has had for a while.

He thinks he hears his name being said behind him, but he doesn't stop.

\--

The next time he sees Lance, he's stood just behind the Emperor's shoulder, across the ballroom from Keith. He's straightened up from the slouch he'd affected as Pike, lost the lazy twitch to his tail and ears, taken on an expression as cold and serious as Keith's. From a distance it's impossible to see his pupils, even though his eyes are entirely open now, but Keith can still tell he's scanning the room as seriously as Keith would. It's impossible to see Pike, casual and friendly, in Lance now; everything about him says soldier.

Keith almost doesn't like it- but he has no reason for that. Pike never really existed anyway, so Keith can't be disappointed now that there's no sign of him left.

He tells himself he's imagining it when Lance scans over him, and seems to stop for a moment. Making up that little downward twitch to ears that are otherwise firmly back up and forward, the equally subtle twitch to Lance's tail. After a moment he deliberately looks away, keeps his eyes on Allura instead. Tries not to feel disappointed when he looks back after a few ticks, and Lance has already moved on. It never meant anything, and he shouldn't expect anything, just like always.

He really should know better, by now.

**Author's Note:**

> This is me being the reverse Galtean AU I wish to see in the world. Think of Galra Lance as a very purple 7ft tall Pike with pointier teeth, and you're pretty much there. Also I kinda mixed up the friend groups for fun? Pidge and Hunk are also Altean in this universe. Shiro is 100% Galran. Kuron exists as a weapon made to take out the rebellion, who now acts as the Emperor's body double, because let Kuron live. None of that matters here, really, but I thought it so you can have it.
> 
> Anyway there should be a part two to this that is the making up half, but that would probably be Lance's perspective because he has Messed Up and he knows it and would like to fix it. In his defence, he did think Keith would probably never talk to him if he just straight up admitted who he was. He may even have been right.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @adistantsea if you want to ask questions.


End file.
